In 2009, I was taking a vacation from home, to go home. I’ll explain. I am a child of multiple cultures. I was born in the Kindgom of Saudi Arabia, a place where my religion is woven through the fabric of society. A place where I learned to read the first words of the Holy Quran, the religious scripture of Islam. A place where over 1 billion people around the world look towards (qibla), every day, five times, to worship Allah. Though unique in these ways, the politics of the Kingdom makes my relationship with my place of birth one of love and hate. (Time spent 1989-1999)

Moving to America, my family was looking for a better opportunity. We came looking for the ’American Dream’. We found the Sudanese-bilingual-highly educated-still cultured-and religious-socially conscious-and much more-American dream to be more suitable. Transitioning into a new country as a 10 year old was not easy or fun. As a matter of fact, it was miserable. Who knew elementary school kids could be so mean when you don’t speak their language? However, I overcame and quickly fell in love with America, a place that provided me opportunities that are out of my reach elsewhere. I have lived the most critical phases of my life, from adolescence, to science fair geek high school student, to overly involved college student, to highly stressed doctoral candidate, and now a working professional. (Time spent 1999 – present)

Though I have never lived there permanently, Sudan is a place where a piece of my heart will always be. Sudan is the birth place of my parents and half of how I choose to identify myself. In 2009, while doing some volunteer work there, was the beginning of a compulsive love for this place I’ve only known in snap shots of time. This was the first time I came to the realization that home is not where you sleep or keep your favorite things; but it’s where you choose to establish a place for yourself, physically or emotionally. (Time spent: 1990-1991 the Gulf War, summers 2003, 2005, 2009, winter 2012)

Throughout my life thus far, I have established homes in multiple places. Though all of my homes come with their unique hardships and disappointments, combining the good in all of them is my utopia. And I am still scoping real estate worldwide, locations yet to be determined. (Time spent: TBD)